Red Daze
by IntoDarkness
Summary: A distant figure lurched and stumbled, like a scene stolen from a zombie movie. Carlos recognized the man's profile and curly honey blond hair. Crap, all he needed was a Patrick Jane incident. Jane pain.
1. Tuesday

Tuesday

The early morning fog was clearing at the Wente Vineyards Golf Course. Grass and trees sparkled from the moisture of a new day. A distant figure lurched and stumbled, like a scene stolen from a zombie movie. The motion caught the eye of a grounds keeper. Even from here, Jacob could see that the man was dirty and his posture stooped. He watched as the man jerked and staggered determinedly toward a Tee Box sign. Great, another drunken vagrant lost among the posh grounds of the golf course. The man fell against the sign and tumbled to the ground. He desperately tried to get up. Jacob called 911 for assistance and waited for the ambulance and police.

A uniformed officer arrived at the scene. Feeling no danger to himself, he approached the troubled suspect. The man was crawling as red stains soaked his shirt, hair matted in blood, bare feet moving in desperate purchase to stand. This is more than the typical trespass. The sounds of an approaching ambulance siren filled the air. A few steps away, Carlos recognized the man's profile and curly honey blond hair. Crap, all he needed was a Patrick Jane incident.

Jane continued his slow progress, wet clothes sticking to his body. He jerked up and found himself standing again. Every inch of his body protested as he lurched forward. _Just… just keep moving._ Carlos carefully approached the man. "Relax Mr. Jane. An ambulance will be here shortly."

Jane staggered toward to officer. "Where am I?" The contest between walking and talking was more than his mind could handle. Balance lost tossing him back into the wet cool grass. He tugged at a few blades, smelling the damp earth. His eyes closed. A light whisper fell from his lips. "Nice day."


	2. Three Days Earlier

Thanks to lgmtreader, vaderladyl, MentalistLover, and Anna for their reviews and encouragement. All mistakes are mine. I welcome all constructive criticisms and ideas.

**Three days earlier.**

Jane didn't know what to do with his free time. The team was looking forward to a quiet three-day weekend after two weeks of extremely long days. He settled on a drive along the coast to fill the empty holiday weekend. Highway 1 south beckoned. A sign before Watsonville caught his eye. "Gilroy Garlic Festival. 20 miles. Exit Highway 152." Large crowds, unhealthy food, local color and crafts, will be a welcoming distraction.

He pulled into the next mini mart gas station to fill up the car and ask about the festival. Inside an entire isle was devoted to garlic, garlic festival flyers, garlic goodies and local crafts. The shelves were full of brightly colored packaging, emblazed with Gilroy Garlic or Gilroy's Stinking Rose. _Hum, why do people say rose? Garlic is closer to a lily as it was part of the Lilliaceaen genus. Today, garlic is classified Alliaceae. Oh, this is going to be fun. _He grabbed a flyer with a map looking it over.

"Hi, are you going to the garlic fair?"

Jane looked up and saw a teenage boy smiling. "Yes. Have you been?"

"Yep, like every year man. Not much else to do round here."

"Oh? You have the ocean and the mountains. This area is quite lovely. There's lots of stuff to do."

The boy shook his head. "No movies, no malls, and like no cute chicks, dude."

"Aw yes, I can see how that would be a problem."

The boy turned away to leave. "Later!"

He stopped and turned back to Jane. "Oh, yo nature dude, take the long way to Gilroy. Green Valley road to Casserly, to 152 north. Can't get lost cos Green starts across the street and turns into Casserly."

He watched the boy outside. The young man picked up his bike shooting a frown at the store before taking off. Across the street, he saw a two-lane road that must be Green Valley Road.

Jane studied the map, his left thumb rubbing his fingers, lost in thought. He felt his mood change and began rubbing his wedding band. His heart tumbled into a panic. _They not here, I'm alone. He could almost feel a tiny hand in his and hear his wife's laughter. I miss them so much. I should be at the apartment going over case files. _

The map crumbled in a trembling hand. Once in the car, his whole body began to shake. _No, lock it down. Slow deep breaths. I was handling my first multiday road trip alone. I can do this. Go the long way. Get to Gilroy and start the great rose verses lily debacle. Slow deep breaths. Stay calm, no panic attacks._

Decision made, he cranked up the car and turn onto Green Valley road. He followed the beautiful winding road until the car sputtered and died. _Why did the car stop? It's full of gas. _He pulled out his cell phone. No bars no service. The drive immediately lost its charm. He raised the hood. _Damnit! I have no idea what to check_.

The Citroen held wonderful memories for his wife. She restored it with her father's help in high school. The car was the embodiment of her happy childhood. He grew to love the car as much as she did. She was so smart and organized taking care of everything, allowing him focus on his career. He never had the time nor interest in the household. Now he wished he at least knew the name of her mechanic.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he presented the demeanor of a mechanically wise male. _If I'm lucky, someone will pull over to show off._ _Any minute now, someone will come… wonderful.._. Jane rubbed the back of his head. _Ok, how hard can this be?_ As the engine cooled, he stuck his head under the hood grumbling. He peered intently at the offending engine knowing there had to be an obvious problem for the car to stop. He puttered around and gestured at the mechanical parts imploring them to reveal their faults wishing for an easy solution. The car quietly ignored his charms and harsh words. He pushed the spark plugs and checked for loose connections until he heard a vehicle splaying gravel behind him.

_Finally, some guy to demonstrate his superior mechanical knowledge_. He swallowed his pride to allow the Good Samaritan to show him the error of his ways. Jane kept his head under the hood looking busy. He heard the engine rive up, oblivious as to why, until the bumper crashed into his legs. Pinned between the two vehicles his only thought was, _please let the Citroen be ok_.


	3. The Goons

Thanks Anna and Dani-9900 for the reviews.

**The Goons**

The vehicle backed off and his body gave way to gravity. The blur of ski masks and strong arms pulled him into an older model van, slamming the door shut. The actions of his abductors were hash and professional. A blindfold covered the eyes. Duct tape sealed his mouth and bound his hands and feet. Adrenaline coursing through his body covered him in a sweaty wave of cold and nausea. Swallowing hard he willed his stomach to behave. He needed to focus. He had to develop an escape plan.

He felt someone near him as the van rumbled and swerved along the winding road. "Very soon we will be changing cars. If you make a sound or struggle and someone sees it, they will die. I kinda hope ya do, being I'm bored. Nod your head if you understand. Good."

The van rolled to a stop. He felt the hands of two men carrying him to a different vehicle. Not wanting another person to die in his name, Jane was compliant even though his legs protest loudly. They tossed him inside without thought to his condition. His body bounced the short distance, his back and head crashed into the side panel. The door slammed shut, another van. He shifted his battered limbs into a better position. A harsh punch to his kidney ruled out getting comfortable. Groaning, he practiced pushing his physical pain away. Hours into the drive, he fell into a fitful sleep.

_Daddy, I'm scared. _

_Shhh honey, everything is going to be ok. _

_No... no… daddy! _

The door clanged open pulling Jane from delirium. His abductors lifted him and threw him out the door. He landed shoulder first on to a rough concrete surface. He wanted to stay still and quiet, but his heart was racing and it was hard to breathe.

One of the men snatched the duct tape off his mouth taking a few hairs and bits of skin.

"Ow!"

The smell of oil and rust were overwhelming. Sounds echoed as if they were in a large space. Although blindfolded, he knew this must be in some type of factory.

"Roll him over."

With the click of a switchblade, his hands and feet were free. A heavy knee dug into his back.

"Don't move!"

Jane bit back a groan and stilled his body. His jacket and vest was quickly removed shoes and socks soon followed. Rough hands searched for hidden weapons. He shivered as the cool marine air pierced his body. He could ascertain he was close to the coast, in a large isolated building after sunset. His shivering and breathing slowed as the voices of his captives lowered and moved away. The work of professionals can be comforting, meaning they would not kill him until someone gave the order. Who was that someone? In retrospect, he had offended many mobsters and gangs members in the last several years. They all had the experience to grab him and erase their tracks. This sordid situation rang of mob influence. Lisbon and the team would work nonstop to find him, but that wouldn't be until Tuesday. A stealth test of his legs indicated running was not an option, he wasn't sure he could stand. Dislodging the blindfold would be his death.

Approaching footsteps and a couple of swift kicks pulled him from his thoughts. "Ow!" Jane rolled to his side and curled up into a fetal position, instinct protecting his internal organs.

"Be still."

"Well, stop kicking me." Jane moaned. _Time to develop a rapport with his captures._

"He is a jackass!" Both men chuckled.

The larger man reached down and ran his hands over Jane's throbbing legs.

"Not broken. You owe me twenty." His deep voice demanded.

"You're no doctor. I'm not forking over any money yet."

"Guys, hey guys. My legs hurt like hell, of course, they're broken."

"No way. I wasn't going fast enough to crush your legs. Stop whining."

"How could you possibly know you didn't break my legs? This isn't something you do every day." Jane didn't hide his agitation.

"Well, not every day, but I have perfected the skill."

"Ok, enough already, I'll decide." The smaller man stepped closer.

"Oh…"

"Shut up jackass!" _Now they have agreed on my nickname._

He crouched down over Jane inspecting his legs. His pants were torn and a small amount of pooled under his legs. He lifted one leg up by the heel, then the other, watching Jane squirm. In one quick motion, he stood up and snatched the leg.

Jane felt like a bolt of lightning hit his foot and blew out his hip. "Ow… ow… stop it!"

"Shut up or I'll do it again."

He swallowed hard and turned his energy to rolling around on the floor groaning.

"I guess I owe ya twenty." The smaller man pulled a bill from his wallet.

"What?" Jane gritted through his teeth.

The larger man pocketed the twenty.

"We'd better get down to the reason we're here. Mr. Jane, I'm sure you know your actions of late have offended a very important person, my boss. He says you're a low life, pain in the ass, con man. We are here to teach you a lesson."

"You have a wonderful deep voice. Have you thought about a career in radio or television?

Handcuffs enclosed his wrists. "That's a bit tight and unnecessary. Could you loosen handcuffs?" The men pulled him up to stand. An internal fire raced along his nerve endings. His legs failed to support the weight forcing both men to drag him to a wooden chair.

"No… no… wait guys. Can't we settle this some other way?"

Using a strong yet reasonable voice, Jane continued. "I can sound very convincing when I apologize. Maybe we should have a quiet dinner and discuss a compromise."

A rain of fists fell upon him. Within a few minutes, he retreated into unconsciousness.

The larger of the two men shook his head at Jane's limp body. "We'll be lucky if he doesn't have a heart attack by tomorrow."

The smaller man lifted Jane's head and delivered a quick jab to the ribs. "Yep. He's out. Twenty says he'll be out four hours."

"That's a bet. By the way, I'll take your twenty when the boss get's here, in a couple of hours."

"Not fair! You had insider information."

"Deal with it dumbass!"

One man grumbled and another chuckled. They opened up a deck of cards to pass the time.

_Pat… Pat, please honey! _

_Why is this happening? _

_No… don't... _

Biting icy water brought Jane back to the living. He found himself in a chair, hands cuffed behind his back. He gasped_._ By the sounds in the room, more people had arrived.

TBC

Reviews make my day!


	4. The Boss

Thanks for the reviews! Vermontgirl61, Dani-9900, Lily Jayne, Anna, krystknght, MentalistLover and Sabsi13, you are all so kind.

**The Boss**

Jane shook his head showering the men with icy water. Dizzy from his efforts he lowered his head, taking in gulps of air. His mind reeled from his body's distress. _Ignore it; you have to think this through. The mafia is highly structured. They follow a strict code of ethics. The boss, is he underboss or capo, doesn't matter, the personalities are close enough. If I can…_

The boss nodded and the big man slapped Jane across the face nearly knocking him out of the chair.

Jane spit out,"What's with all this violence? Are we not civilized people in this country? Really, I'm sure this is just a simple misunderstanding." _He pulled off the condescending voice beautifully. Now, boss man needs to come a little bit closer._

The big man frowned at his boss, giving him the "see what I've gotta put up with" face.

The boss walked up to Jane pulling out a knife.

Jane heard the steps and caught a whiff of stale cigarettes, bourbon and Armani cologne. _Uh oh, I really pulled a number on him. I was a little over the top when I embarrassed him in front of the clubhouse. Mob rule number one- Don't kill a cop. I just need to make him angry enough to walk away but not angry enough to speak._

Jane felt a tug at the bottom of his shirt. The cold tip of a blade lightly dipped into his skin just above the navel hesitating.

"This isn't very sporting. Are you afraid to take me on?" _The boss has to remain cool in front of his men._

The reply was the sound of his skin and shirt tearing. The shirt flew open leaving a thin bloody trail from waist to chest. Jane slowed his rapid breathing.

Someone pulled his shirt back exposing his shoulders. Jane wiggled and tried to pull away. Several pairs of hands shoved him back down into the chair. Warm fingers probed the bruised shoulder finding the intended placement. The knife sliced through the skin tearing into cartilage hitting the intended ganglia of nerves.

A high-pitched scream followed. _You can do this._ _Push back the pain, nice girly screams._

Turning his blindfold face toward his attacker, his voice cracking, "you're just an over grown bully."

His head slumped forward, desperately seeking the appearance of unconsciousness. He felt the hand move to the other shoulder probing. The cold blade bit into the skin. The boss's warm smoky breath fell across his jaw. Jane's tiny flinch was obvious to the experienced elder. The knife plunged into the ganglia and cartilage. Jane's body jerked. Uncontrollable sobs racked his chest while small streams of blood and sweat soaked into his pants. The boss's presence moved away.

Jane swayed building agitation in his demeanor. "Thirsty! Could someone get me some water?"

The boss retreated in disgust handing the blade to his insubordinate. Screams followed him to the limo.

Jane's body slumped with his head resting on his chest.

"He's a real piece of work."

"I don't know how the boss managed to keep his cool."

"Throw more water on him and see if a loser like yourself can make him scream again".

They did their best "to teach him a lesson". The physical pain was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Nothing compared to what Red John did to his wife and child. _I deserve this and so much more. _

_Pat, Pat?_

_It's my fault you died. I'm sorry… so… sorry. You asked me to stop. I didn't… I couldn't stop. I should have stopped. You're gone. Both gone. Why couldn't I stop? Why? I miss you so much! _

_No Pat! He did this… not you. We were happy… Yes, you can be an ass and I got mad at you sometimes, but I know you and love you. You hid your heart from others… not from me… not from our daughter. We knew you loved us. We know deep down inside you're a strong and good man. Stop being a selfish ass and live your life. Why can't you understand, we want you to be happy. Be strong for us. Don't give up. Fight… Fight for the man we love! _

He wanted to reached out and touch her, to feel her warmth. He started humming his daughter's favorite song.

"He's awake. What's he trying do?"

"The jackass is delirious."

"We dump him at the golf course tomorrow before sun up."

"Boss must've liked your plan."

"Yea, he liked the idea of getting a kid to suggest the scenic route."

"What's not to like, kids are cheap and no one suspects them. Besides he was just hanging out around the store."

"Hey, I'm hungry! What does a man have to do around here to get some food?"

_That's it baby, survive. _

TBC


	5. Par 5

Thanks so much for your reviews, krystknght, MentalistLover, Anna, Sabsi13, BelleLee, and Dani-9900. You rock!

If you remember an episode with a mob boss and a golf course then you know to whom I refer. If you don't, then I haven't it spoiled for you.

**Par 5, Tuesday**

Before the sun rose, they drove into the woods close to Wente Vineyards Golf Course. "The boss said it was poetic."

"Right, whatever." They rolled him out of the van and took off.

Jane sniffed the cool flagrant farina of woods and wet flora.

_Hey honey, you did it. You're alive. Go get help._

_No, I can't leave you. _

_You have a new life. You're saving people. Don't throw that away._

_Promise Pat. _

_No! I can't… _

_Please Pat, go find them. They will help you. They love you. _

_Now Patrick!_

"Don't use that tone of voice with me, woman!" Jane grumbled.

He blinked at the harsh light filtering through the tress. _Which way? A sign, is that a sign?_

Reaching deep inside, finding strength, he got up on shaky legs and stumbled from the trees onto a grassy plane. _It's too bright. I have to make it to the sign._

_I still can't make out the sign. Closer, I need to get closer. _

The early morning fog was clearing at the Wente Vineyards Golf Course. Grass and trees sparkled from the moisture of a new day. A distant figure lurched and stumbled, like a scene stolen from a zombie movie. The motion caught the eye of a grounds keeper. Even from here, Jacob could see that the man was dirty and his posture stooped. He watched as the man jerked and staggered determinedly toward a Tee Box sign. Great, another drunken vagrant lost among the posh grounds of the golf course. Jacob called 911 for assistance and waited for the ambulance and police.

Jane grabbed the sign, not believing what he saw. "Par 5?" The ground tumbled up to meet him. _Par 5. Par 5. Yes, golf course. I'm at a golf course. Get to the Clubhouse and call a taxi. I can do this! Stand up man, get moving!_

A uniformed officer arrived at the scene. Feeling no danger to himself, he approached the troubled suspect. The man was crawling as red stains soaked his shirt, hair matted in blood, bare feet moving in desperate purchase to stand. This is more than the typical trespass. The sounds of an approaching ambulance siren filled the air. A few steps away, Carlos recognized the man's profile and curly honey blond hair. Crap, all he needed was a Patrick Jane incident.

Jane continued his slow progress, wet clothes sticking to his body. He jerked up and found himself standing again. Every inch of his body protested as he lurched forward. _Just… just keep moving._ Carlos carefully approached the man. "Relax Mr. Jane. An ambulance will be here shortly."

Jane staggered toward to officer. "Where am I?" The contest between walking and talking was more than his mind could handle. Balance lost tossing him back into the wet cool grass. He tugged at a few blades, smelling the damp earth. His eyes closed. A light whisper fell from his lips. "Nice day."

**One day Later**

" Jane!" Lisbon held his hand watching him struggle, his body tense covered in perspiration, lost in a nightmare.

"Wake up Jane. You're having a bad dream." She squeezed his hand tightly.

"Ow, stop it."

Looking at his pale face and battered body, Lisbon couldn't help but to smile at his whiny voice.

"Come on Jane, snap out of it."

His eyes fluttered open. "Hospital? I'm in a damn hospital?"

"Yes, Jane, you're in a hospital. Who did you piss off this time?"

His weak voice replied, "You don't want to know." His eyes closed and then popped open.

"When can I leave?"

"When you can walk out."

His eyes closed and body relaxed.

Lisbon whispered softly. "Jane, you an ass."

She could barely make out his reply. Something like "yes, I know my love."

**Fini**

AN: I decided to end the story this way because it felt right. I've found Simon Baker (way too cute) is a distraction from the character, Patrick Jane. After reviewing season 1 and 2 (trying not to drool), I'm very curious about Patrick Jane. He has the darkness, depth, smarts, and humor that I love. I have more stories, half written, exploring the character and what makes him tick or tilt.


End file.
